CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2798
OF 21103OZ JULY 88
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 243/8
RECI
RY
22 JUL 1988
FICES
IND
PA
N
SYS
075423
MDLIAN 4327
TOP COPY
en
Q DIST 7
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, UKMIS GENEVA INFO ROUTINE HANOI, BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, MANILA INFO ROUTINE JAKARTA, BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, WASHINGTON, CANBERRA INFO ROUTINE TOKYO, PEKING, OTTAWA
498
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE : UNHCR MEETING IN BANKOK OUR TELNOS 2680 AND 2701
SUMMARY
THIS WAS A USEFUL MEETING WHICH CLEARED THE AIR ON BILATERAL AND
MULTI-LATERAL APPROACHES TO THE PROBLEM. THE UNHCR ACCEPTED A ROLE AS CATALYST AND COORDINATOR, BUT OFFERED LITTLE CONCRETE GUIDANCE ON CRITERIA FOR SCREENING OR 'MODALITIES FOR REPATRIATION.
A SEAN REPRESENTATIVES REPEATED CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, BUT SUPPOIRTED MEANWHILE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A MULTI-LATERAL WORKING GROUP COMPRISING ALL PARTIES CONCERNED. WE EXPRESSED WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, BUT STRESSED THE NEED FOR ADEQUATE PREPARATION, AND SUPPORTED THE IDEA OF FURTHER INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS INVOLVING ALL PARTIES CONCERNED.
DETAIL
2. REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL SIX ASEAN COUNTRIES PLUS HONG KONG ATTENDED THE MEETING IN BANGKOK ON 18/19 JULY. THE MEETING WAS CHAIRED BY PIERRE JAMBOR, UNHCR REPRESENTATIVE IN THAILAND. UNHCR DELETATION COMPRISED DE MELO, BAYANDOR, BARI AND ZAMAN. ALL PRESENT AGREED AT THE OUTSET THAT THE MEETING SHOULD BE PRIVATE, INFORMAL AND EXPLORATORY. JAMBOR WAS APPOINTED AS THE OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN.
3. THE MEETING WAS SHORTENED FROM TWO FULL DAYS TO ONE AND A HALF SO
THAT THE ASEAN WORKING GROUP COULD MEET ON THE AFTERNOON OF 19 JULY. THE WORKING GROUP HAD MET INFORMALLY ON THE EVENING OF 17 JULY.
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4. THE FIRST DAY WAS DEVOTED TO DISCUSSION OF : (A) THE
'INDICATIONS RECEIVED ORALLY AND IN WRITING FROM THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ABOUT ITS ''WILLINGNESS TO ENTER INTO BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PARTIES CONCERNED ON THE RESOLUTION OF THE
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